Missouri State University

Health and Safety

Health

Taylor Health and Wellness Center

Taylor Health and Wellness Center provides several services for Missouri State's students, faculty and staff.  These services include: 

  • Taylor Health and Wellness Centerroutine and preventive medical services on an outpatient basis
  • diagnosis and treatment of illnesses and injuries
  • a full-service pharmacy with both prescription and over-the-counter items
  • women's health services
  • nursing treatment (including allergy injections and immunizations)
  • diagnostic laboratory testing
  • radiological procedures and interpretations
  • wellness programming which emphasizes positive lifestyle choices
  • consultation services in orthopedics, internal medicine, gynecology, radiology, psychiatry, headache care, nutrition, diabetics, and smoking cessation

Emergency medical care is NOT available at Taylor Health and Wellness Center; if an illness or injury appears to be life-threatening, students should call 911 for emergency medical services.

If possible, students should complete a medical history form before receiving care at Taylor Health and Wellness Center.  Basic office visits for students are provided at no additional cost; charges for other professional services (such as intermediate and extended office visits, physical examinations, laboratory tests, x-rays, prescriptions, medical supplies, specialists' appointments, etc.) are offered below the community rates.  The Center works with a wide variety of medical insurance providers and networks. 

The Center also provides educational activities, programs and resources on a variety of student health and wellness related topics. Information and programs are available in the areas of alcohol and other drugs, stress management, general nutrition and weight management, smoking cessation, sexuality issues, physical fitness, and other wellness topics.

For more frequently asked questions questions about the Taylor Health and Wellness Center, please visit its FAQ page.

Student Health Insurance

Students who are not covered under their parents' or guardians' health insurance plan or have no coverage of their own are encouraged to purchase health insurance.  A health insurance plan, underwritten by Academic Health Plans, is available for Missouri State University students.  Visit www.AHPCare.com/missouristate/ to enroll, obtain forms, or find more information.

All registered domestic undergraduate students enrolled in six (6) or more credit hours on campus are eligible to enroll in the plan.  Students must be in good academic standing and making appropriate progress toward graduation.

All contractual agreements for those who choose to participate in this voluntary plan shall be between the insured and the underwriter.  Neither the University nor Taylor Health and Wellness Center will be responsible for any costs incurred by those who participate in the plan.  Students, except for international students, are NOT required to purchase their health insurance through this provider.  This is available only as an option for those needing health insurance.

Counseling and Testing Center

The Counseling and Testing Center offers a variety of services that promote students' personal development and psychological well-being, including individual and group counseling, educational programs, emergency and crisis services, and consultations and referrals.  Counseling services are strictly confidential and not shared with third parties unless written consent has been provided to the Center.

Students sometimes experience personal concerns that have a negative impact on their performance in the classroom and on their ability to remain enrolled at Missouri State University; these concerns can include adjusting to college, harboring low self-esteem, dealing with eating disorders, managing a long-distance relationship, or a variety of other issues.  Students dealing with these concerns should be encouraged to visit the Counseling and Testing Center right away; many students who have utilized the Center's resources report that it had a positive impact on their concerns.

Campus Recreation

Campus Recreation promotes physical fitness, enhances wellness, and fosters community for Missouri State students, faculty and staff. Campus Recreation offers fitness and wellness classes (including CPR and First Aid certification), a variety of intramural sport leagues and tournaments, and Outdoor Adventures (experiential wilderness programs, activities, and workshops).  These programs are excellent opportunities for students to stay active and fit, interact with other students, learn how to work in a team and with team members, and experience Springfield and the Ozarks.

Our new University Recreation Center will offer students an unprecedented recreational experience at Missouri State University.  The approximately 100,000 square foot Center will contain an indoor jogging track, basketball courts, rock climbing and bouldering walls, a recreational pool, spa, sauna, and many, many more features. 

Campus Recreation offers many opportunities for internships, practicums, and student employment, including fitness instructors, intramural sports officials, outdoor trip guides, and office assistants. Contact their office for more details.


Safety

Safety and Transportation

Missouri State University students, faculty and staff regularly enjoy a safe and secure campus, thanks to the work of our Safety and Transportation department.  This department works with many offices across campus to ensure students can study, work, and play safely.  Some of their services include:

  • a Springfield Police Department substation on campus. These commissioned law enforcement officers, who have arrest authority and the power to search, regularly work with Missouri State University's own campus safety officers.  SPD officers can regularly been seen patrolling campus, working with Residence Life and Services staff to provide informative programs, and responding to calls and requests for services.  Both campus safety and SPD officers can be contacted at (417) 836-5509; however, students should be encouraged to dial 911 in emergency situations. 
  • the Safe Walk program.  This program escorts members of the campus community to and from locations within the confines of the campus seven days a week. Students should call (417) 836-5509 to obtain an escort, and an officer will then be dispatched by radio to that location.  Encourage your student to program this number in their cell phones in case they might want to use this service in the future.

  • Bear Line Shuttle

    the Bear Line shuttle system.  The Bear Line shuttles are certainly useful for getting students to and from locations on campus, but it also does so safely.  These accessable shuttles are financed through student services fees, so no fares are charged during scheduled operating hours.  Shuttles stop an average of 5 to 8 minutes, so students shouldn't have to wait long to get across campus.  For a map of the Bear Line shuttle routes, visit this page or pick up a copy at the Safety and Transportation department or the Plaster Student Union Information Desk. A smartphone application that offers live-tracking of Bear Line shuttles can also be found at www.missouristate.edu/mobile.
  • Missouri State Alert, the University's mass notification system.  This system uses a variety of methods (including text messages, phone calls, emails and instant messages) to contact students, faculty and staff in the event of an emergency or school closing.  Missouri State Alert is used only for immediate threats or violent situations on campus; security alerts; severe weather alerts; University closings, early dismissals, and delayed starts; or other emergency situations of an extreme nature. Please encourage your student to enroll in Missouri State Alert; unfortunately, parents and family members cannot currently enroll in the program.
  • coordinating Missouri State's Emergency Response Plans and training individuals on these plans.  While hopefully never needed, Missouri State has adopted plans of action for a wide variety of emergency situations.  You can review these plans by visiting the link above.

Residence Life and Services

Our system of residence halls have also put in place a number of measure to ensure students are as safe as possible in their homes away from home.  These measures include:

  • highly trained Resident Assistants (RAs) and residence hall staff.  Hall directors are full-time, live-in staff who manage the daily operations of the building.  As part of their duties, they monitor established safety procedures and equipment to ensure their proper operation, work with RAs to enhance community and reduce incidents in their hall, and respond to any incidents and emergencies that may occur.  RAs--highly-trained students who live on each floor of the residence halls--keep watch over their floor for potential safety issues and incidents, assist in responding to emergency situations, and create community and awareness in their residents through programs they create.  This community and awareness is especially important, as the best line of defense against potential threats to safety are well-informed students who are looking out for each other.
  • the card access system.  All exterior doors of each residence hall on campus are locked at 7:00 p.m. each day; each resident is provided an access card that allows them to enter their building at this time (in some halls, their access card will also grant them access to only the specific floor or wing in which they live).  This system prevents those who are not residents from walking into the building at any time. 
  • BearPass Card checks after 10:00 pm each night.  Front desk staff at each building are instructed to check the BearPass Cards (or student ID cards) of those entering halls after this time to make sure they are residents of these halls, or are being escorted by a resident.
  • visitation policies for each residence hall.  Two general visitation policies, generally referred to as 24/2 or 24/7, exist.  24/2 visitation means that guests of the opposite sex of the resident can be present on Friday and Saturday nights only; they are not allowed to stay overnight Sunday through Thursday.  Underclassmen (i.e., freshmen and sophomores) are generally housed in 24/2 areas.  24/7 visitation means that guests of the opposite sex of the resident can be present any night; however, roommates must provide for consent for overnight guests, and they must not be regular guests.  Upperclassmen (i.e., juniors and seniors) are generally housed in 24/2 areas.